Pregnancy

The more a child is exposure to BPA in utero, the more likely they are to present with behavior problems at age 3, especially for girls. These are the findings of a new study funded by the NIH. Appearing in this months journal Pediatrics, the study looks at both in utero and childhood exposure. And while the in utero findings were significant (especially so for girls), researchers found no measurable impact of childhood BPA exposure on ...

Doppler ultrasound examinations during high-risk pregnancies can reduce perinatal death by nearly 30%. While ultrasound exams are used regularly to monitor nearly all pregnancies, doppler ultrasound exams are not routine.

Doppler ultrasound exams offer doctors an opportunity to assess fetal blood flow, which is not typically seen on a regular ultrasound examination. In high-risk pregnancies, fetal circulation is more easily compromised; a doppler ultrasound exam can find potential problems earlier ...

A new study has shown that Mothers in Australia who have been treated for infertility are at an increased risk of having a stillborn birth. IVF and IUI (intrauterine insemination), two treatments that involve ovarian stimulation, are analyzed in the data.

While the study shows a correlation between stillbirth and infertility treatment, it is not clear what other variables were reviewed. It could be that multiple pregnancies were more at-risk, or that women who resort to infertility treatments have an underlying condition that increases the risk ...

We would really like to know more about these numbers. What do they know about the mothers? Age? Number of children? Health? Infertility treatments? Other concomitant health issues?
...

There's a new blood test that researchers say can tell a mother the gender of the child she is carrying.

For those who want to know the gender of the baby they are carrying, the two methods are: wait until the 20-week ultrasound and look for teeny little genitalia, or have an amniocentesis done between 11 and 13 weeks for chromosomal testing and analysis. The standard wait can feel like an eternity - and may still be wrong. The amnio is typically done to screen for problems, at which point gender ...